?How long can a driver legally drive in a day ?
?Why don’t truck drivers run legal ?
?Do bright lights or fog lights bother truckers since they are sitting so high ?
?How do truck drivers get paid & how much do they make?
?What age can one become a trucker?
?How Does A Truck Driver Know What To Do And Where To Go?
How long can a driver legally drive in a day ?
Legal drive time is 11 hours of driving with 10 hours of break thereafter. The NEW rules require that after 14 hours from your begin time in a given day you have 10 hours break no matter how many miles you’ve driven. Up to 70 hours in an 8 day period. With NO overtime required to be paid after 40 hours. After 34 hours off duty they may RESET their 70 hours to regain a full 70 hours for the new week. updated Feb 23, 2004
Why don’t truck drivers run legal ?
It is a practical impossibility to run entirely legal if you were to include waiting time, etc. So many drivers figure if you are forced by the broken system to run illegal, then why not go all the way and do what you want all the time. What is the difference, illegal by a minute or by days? This system needs fixed. The new hours coming out by our ” all wise ” government are going to make things even worse. Of course you really could run entirely legal if you do NOT mind begging for food!
[ obviously, this depends on who the driver drives for. ]
Do bright lights or fog lights bother truckers since they are sitting so high ?
Some may laugh at this question but you would be surprised at how many people ask this question. Of course they do ! Truckers are directly in the line of sight of fog lights and bright lights. I don’t know about you but I don’t want an 80,000 lb truck coming at me who is blinded by fog lights and can’t see. Some say they use them so they can see better but what about the trucker coming at you who can’t ? Does that line of reasoning make any sense at all ? Don’t fool yourself they are not driving lights, they are fog lights.
Fog lights are by far the most frustrating things on the highways today.
How do truck drivers get paid & how much do they make?
So you want to know how much a trucker makes and how he/she gets paid? A typical trucker gets paid by the mile. He/she has to make as many miles as possible to achieve a good paycheck. While that trucker is sitting in dock, traffic, and shops they get paid typically NOTHING. 
A driver can make anywhere from .19 cents a mile to around .44 cents a mile. Depending on how long they’ve driven and many other variables. So to break it down to how much a driver brings home specifically is difficult but runs around $300 – $1,200 a week.
What age can one become a trucker?
A person who wishes to drive cross country with a CDL license [eighteen wheelers] has to be 21 years of age. Now persons who wish to drive an eighteen wheeler locally or IN STATE only will have to be the age of at least 18. Because of age discrimination among the insurance companies most carriers won’t hire you on unless you are 23 years of age or in some cases 25+! Need Training To Become A Truck Driver? CLICK HERE
Need To Study For Your CDL ?
These states currently have a study guide online [some of them may take a few minutes to download].
How does a truck driver know what to do and where to go?
These days ,as I’m sure you know, everything is computerized. Eighteen wheelers are no exception. MOST trucks are equipped with a QUALCOMM™ Satellite System. OR some other type of satellite system to enable trucking companies to track their trucks to within three blocks anywhere in the country! These trucks now are highly sophisticated. So it goes without saying that the new dispatching methods have indeed followed.
Truck drivers now do not have much need of a telephone. When the trucking company gets a load from a customer they then send a message over the satellite which the driver gets in his truck on an onboard computer telling him/her where to go and when to be there. It also tells the driver how many miles it is to the customer, directions, and any other pertinent information requested by that customer.
The support behind the scenes (i.e. dispatchers, customer reps) is absolutely critical to keeping a truck moving economically. These trucking companies have massive operation centers packed with computers and high tech equipment. To keep a fleet of 3,000 trucks moving and pleasing customers all across the United States is a hard task.
New advances in technology are greatly enhancing the life of a trucker. These computers are getting very complicated. A trucking company can track how fast the truck is moving as it is moving, how long it has been on the move, fuel economy, idle time, engine rpm, and on and on! It is amazing what has come and what IS coming soon!
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{ 43 comments… read them below or add one }
What is the age limit to driving a truck?
The age limitation of 21 years of age kicks in at 10,001 pounds or more or placarded quantities of HM. The 10,001 pounds or more is the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) as declared by the manufacturer or the combination gross vehicle weight rating (CGVWR) of truck’s GVWR and trailer’s GVWR, i.e. truck’s GVWR = 8,000 + trailer’s GVWR of 2,500 = 10,500 CGVWR making the vehicle subject to the rules.
There is no maximum age limit for operating provided the person may pass the DOT physical.
Be safe.
Mike
You must be 21 yrs old for OT driving as per the fmcsa. but you can drive in most states at age 18 as long as you don’t leave the state
Interstate commerce is based on the destination of the freight, not the vehicle. UPS, FedEx and DHL local drviers are all involved in interstate commerce and must be 21 years of age.
Be safe.
Mike
Do truck drivers take a lot of drugs to stay awake? my dad said that a lot of drivers had to take speed to be able to drive all those miles. Do they get regular drug tests?
Back in the 70′s and more in the early and mid 80′s there was a lot of that going on. But most of those drivers that abused there bodies for the fast buck have now had heart attacks, strokes and all kinds heatlh issue if they are stll alive at all. Drugs use is no good.
Truck drivers DO NOT take a lot of drugs. My dad is a trucker and he doesn’t take any drugs AT ALL!!! They just drink a lot of coffee when they’re on the road! DUH!!!!!
Qualcomm is only there to ease-up on insurance expenses, and to limit abilities of amking money. The expense of these “portable labtops” has taken away more than that though.
I have driven for almost 40 years, and the noose Government has strangled the industry in that time spand.
Every driver I know, has safety at the top his/her list. in the furure, which I have been consulted about, they may even breathing machines in all D.O.T. regulated vehicles, as well as teh dreaded black box. “Corporation America”, as tiny as it has been sliced by a social government, needs to stand up to the plate an SCREAM about every step the hellistic government takes. when toilet paper sells out, ther are so many weeds before getting to itch weed.
Jason, I am trying to find information on logging, particularly “looping,” or “blocking” off time that you do not change your city/state. It was introduce to me to keep the logbook cleaner than drawing a flag for a 15 minute section of time. I believe the email is displayed with this. If you know more about this please contact me or send a website where information on this is documented. Thanks!
My salary is $400.00 every week for 40 hours of work a week I don’t do much but my salary says that allready I am a hard worker is trucking A good choice for me I have no obligation to no one all I wanna do is work hard an have somthing to show for it
My husband is going to be going to one of those driving schools for his CDL’s. His current pay for a 40 hr week is 600.00. will it be hard for him to make more than that being a driver??? And any advice on this would be great!!!
I am also looking in to the cdl driving schools.
With your husband having no experience after he gets his cdl, it will be hard for him to get a job.
depending on where he gets a job at, 600.00 a week, might be difficult to compete with for someone w/ no exp.
probably not right away. But it won’t take long to make more then that. Depending on who he goes to work for
Can a truck with a two person crew drive more than 11 hours if they rotate driving time?
yes they can because when you are runing a team each of you are running your own log book so instead of one log book there are to logbooks and each driver can drive is amount of time then put is book where it needs to be then the next driver takes over and runs his logbook hours
Does a switcher driver need to follow the 10 hour off law after working a 8 or 10 hour shift? I do have a CDL because I travel about 150 feet of hiway several times daily. The only log I need to keep is the vehicle inspection report. Also I punch into a time clock everyday so my hours are shown on paper if the state of Michigan needs to see.
I will be 59 in 2 months is that to old to start truck driving ?
Hello,
I was talking to a young man that was driving for a national trucking company that is located in my city. I believe he has driven all over the country and even up to Alaska. He doesn’t do it any more since has children but he told me he made $186,000 in 2009. Is that possible? I’m curious to and contemplating getting my CDL since I’m not married and don’t have kids.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and answer it you have an excellent website.
Paul
I am driving truck for 25 years, there is no possible way one can make profit of $186,000 in an year . may be gross income but after expense it break down to 50 -60 k a year
I have seen over 100,000.00 in a year and being paid by the mile I and traveling to Alaska, I would say that is not far fetched for a yearly salary!!
I see this question quite a bit, the truth is that it depends on if you are a company driver or and Owner Operator that has youw own equipment. It’s not unrealistic for an O/o to make $186,000 in a year, however I doubt that it was net salary, it was probably the gross income. You need to keep in mind that out of that would come the cost of fuel,maintenance, truck payment, etc.
If you are thinking of driving truck as a way of making the big bucks like it was portrayed in the movies, then you should really reconsider your options.
Is a CDL driver who is paid by the hour entitled to overtime pay for working over 40 hrs in a week?
I’m 19 years old looking into getting my CDL A would anyone hire me because i can only stay in the state? Should i even look into getting my CDL?
I would hold off until I was 21 if I were you. Very few actual companies would hire someone under 21, so small local temporary jobs would be your best bet with trucking until then, and those arent any fun.
I’m 24 and a college drop out. I have nothing to show for my age. I tried going back to school this semester but because I’m married, there was some issues with financial aid and whatnot. So this month I applied at the Texas(yup my homestate)Workforce to attend a local school where they teach people to drive trucks. I don’t want to waste time anymore..and becoming a trucker is not something I initially aspired to be but..times are tough and there are many aspects I find appealing about the job. Not simply for the money. I’ve got some friends who own a company who can get me work right off the bat as soon as I get the liscence. But before I jump the gun..my concern is the actual driving.
I drive very well with automatic cars. My driving record is clean and I’m complimented on my driving even. With that said..I realize driving trucks is a whole nother ball game. My hats off to the men and women who do this for a living. Because I know there are risks…and my thing is..I’m intimidated by the size of the vehicle and by the gear changes. Honestly..I’m flat out scared. But not enough to back out of learning. I enjoy challenges and nothing feels better than to overcome them. Anyway..my questions are..how did you guys feel when you were about to learn to drive? Was it hard? How long did it take you? And do you have any tips on learning to drive trucks? If you’ve got a story of a mishap and how u handled it..I would appreciate it. Thanks again. My respect to you drivers. God Bless You All.
I’m in a wheelchair, anyone know the process to get my medical card? I’m out of IL. Please email me stronglucas86@yahoo.com, I would appriciate it, thank you.
Hi I work for a alarm company and make 27hr but i HATE it! I have my class A permit and would like to drive a truck,Would it be worth it and can i make around he same amount?
its a lonely road but u can go to school get ur cdl takes between 3
weeks to 6 weeks depending on the school
I have been a driver for most of my life . I have dirven over 3,000,000 miles most company drivers make $400.00 to $600.00 per week but they are on the road for 3 week and then they have 2 days at home then they go back for the next 3 weeks . You may only work 40 to 70 hr per week but you are in the truck 24 /7 for 3 week or more at a time you only get paid by the mile. If you are not moving you are not getting paid. I have been out ( away from home ) for up to 9 month with out getting home. Yes that means you do not see you wife kids dog you at by your self. I own my truck but I lease to a company . The best I have seen is pulling over size loades that was $240,000 that year gross net was $75,000 . You buy your fuel ins truck tries oil tolls permints some truck stopes charge to park upto $50.00 per day you paid to take a shower and a lot on min on the phone and Qualcomm is not free . if you worked as many hr on a job that as you do driving a $75,000 year = less than $15.00 per hr you do not make time and 1/2 for over 40 and on a avarage you get 2 to 3 days off a month with 5 day vacation after a year . I tryed the comapny route on 2001 with USA truck I had 6 days off (at home ) in 6 months they paid but the mile I grossed a total of $16,250.52 i worked 70+ hr per week that is $8.92 per hr straight time on time and 1/2 that was before taxes and one thing you must think about where are you going to eat . A truck stop because you can not park that truck anywhere at Flying J a cheap meal cost about $12.00 to $18.00 x 3 x 7days $252.00 for 6 month = $6552.00 so how much did you make
IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT DRIVING A TRUCK FOR A LIVING LPPK HARD YOU WILL GIVE UP A LOT MOST PEOPLE AFTER THEY DRIVE FOR A YEAR OR 2 NEVER STOP
YOU WILL MISS YOU KIDS BIRTHDAYS YOU KIDS 1 FOOTBALL GAME SCHOOL PLAYES
WHEN MY SON WAS GETTING MARRIED IT WAS PLANED 6 MONTH AHEAD THE COMPANY COULD NOT GET ME HOME FOR THE WEDDING I TOLD THE EVER MONTH FOR 6 MONTHS THEN EVERY DAY FOR 2 WEEKS BEFORE I HAD TO QUICK AND TAKE A PLANE TO GET THE THE WEDDING I HAD WORKED FOR THE 6 YEARS BUT THE LOAD HAD TO GO THAT IS WHAT YOU HEAR
As a truck driver can you choose to work whenever season they want, for eg Can a truck driver stay home for christmas, or new years and then get back to work by next month??????????????
I have been driving truck for almost 21 years nad yes you can make good money, especially if you have someone to team up with. But here are some questions to ask yourself? Are you willing to be gone for 6 weeks at a time? are you willing to not be home for holidays, birthdays, or anniversaries? yes you can get home at times for some of that but not all of them. Are you willing to driving in inclement weather? do you want to shower in truck stops all the time? are you willing to drive 10-11 hrs. a day? Now with the new CSA 2010 law out, if you have any marks on your driving record in the last 3 years, you can forget about trying to get into trucking until your driving record cleans up. A lot of trucking companies are now going to automatics which have good points and bad ones too. If you really want to know more about trucking, I’ll be more than happy to correspond with you, but think about the questions I posted. You have to be at least 21 years of age to drive a big rig. My e-mail address is: ksleepercat@yahoo.com I will be more than happy to answer any questions you might have. And for thosw of you who want to know if you can really make money, YES you can. When the economy was real strong, my hubby and I made $110,000 for a year. When it took a dive we took a $40,000 loss.
I am female – is there a minimum height before you can drive a truck ???? At 5 foot 3 will I reach the pedals ??
ali… no there is no minium height for drivin a truck one of my co workers is 4 foot 9 and he does just fine the seats are like a car seat you can move them forward a little and down a lot my rig has pedals that move closer but i never use them but the main thing is what kind of semi you want to drive and how much tou want to really do van trailers are the easyest because you dont have to tie the loads down flatbeds you do if you like the work then its fine but if anybosy wants to drive a semi they have to be serous about it theres a lot that could go wrong if you dont. ive seen a semi drive who was messin with his phone and t-boned a minivan with 3 kids in it all but one were killed the mother who was driving was in critical condition so if you want to do it thats great its a good job but take it serously its not like driving a car these things are big and heavy
Driving truck is like any other job, it is a lot of work. Do not think because you are driving you are not going to bust your behind, you will. I preferred flatbeds be cause it is always a power on power off load. I do not like unloading items out of a trailer for heaven knows how many hours in 103 degree heat in Fresno California or a 10 drop load of paper products starting in Portland Oregon going to fast food outfits spread out from San Francisco to LA. The outfit only allowed deliveries from 3:00 to 4:00 pm a day. I nearly went nuts. That one took just about two weeks. I wondered how people made any money at all with that screwed up mess. A good organized company is so very important to the drivers ability to make money. I have some nightmare stories about my three weeks pulling doubles on the west coast. LOL
One good thing about 99 percent of the flatbed loads, most people are happy to see you with their stuff. You get to go to building areas and other places that are normally just you and the customer who is often in a hurry to get the stuff and you are unloaded in just a few minutes and away you go to your next load. Out of fairness there are van outfits that reload many of their trailers and all you have to do is drop your loaded trailer and grab another one. I would call this kind of rate, however I did not spend much time working for a van company, so this is my my observation and I have been known to see polar bears and Bigfoot late Thursday evening standing by the side of the road trying to get in one more load for the week. This is not the case at a produce market or the majority of other places like warehouses. When you get there, people have to get off their butts and they hate you for it. lol There is good and bad in all. I hauled wide/long/tall and other special loads and there is very good money in it. I loved to haul really long things with a trailer that you could steer from the cab or one that had a driver in the back like a fire truck.
Those were very fun, however there were sometimes short periods of terror when you get close to getting tangled up with a four wheeler. All in all I loved it most of the time. Because I wanted to be home at times I would change jobs and drive a log truck so I could be home every day. It had it’s own ways of doing things. I saw some of the longest down hill grades and cliffs in eastern California and in the coast range of California and Oregon. I often wondered how the old timers got their truck around on those narrow dirt roads with switch-backs so sharp you could read your trailer license plate as it came around behind you. I have worked for large and small companies and I will have to say the bigger the company the more mistakes in dispatch and the smaller the company the less you get paid.
After a couple of million miles I went back to school for computers and human resources management and went to work in the office of a trucking company> Go figure?? lol There are times I miss driving, but all in all I like to have a life other than the truck. To make money you have to cover miles and you will be gone allot of the time if you choose to drive long haul, most of the local type truck may pay a little less and you are fighting the traffic most of the time. ARG!!!!!!! To me that was the worst part, as it seems just about everyone hates you and no one wants to ever be behind you regardless of how fast they are going. lol
Man I could go on for ever about driving because there are so many tangents of trucking and so many kinds of trucks to drive. As far as learning there are some companies who have their own training facilities or they work with a reputable school. Be careful who you give your money to because some schools have a poor reputation and some companies will not hire from them. And also choose the place you want to work by asking others who work for them how they like where they are working. There are some real bad places to work out there and trucking companies come and go every few minutes. Just remember to do your homework. There is nothing wrong with calling a company and ask them what they are looking for in a driver, do they have in house training and what is their pay scale and benefits. Companies are looking for good drivers all of the time. What ever you choose to drive, be careful and have fun. It can be a very rewarding trade and there are a load of great people out there in the trucks. That was one the most rewarding things about the road. I got to talk to thousands of people I never would have met and some of them became friends. It never got boring. I hope this helps.
Cheers!
den
If you are single the road is a wonderful place to be, but you can make the same money, or more running local. I ran otr for transport america, as a rookie I was making 28cpm within 6mo I was at 33cpm + 3cpm in bonuses my avg weekly gross was 930.00. I now pull gasoline locally. Gas drivers make from 48k to 70k and in extreme cases 90k per year(extreme means the 70hour rule does not apply to you). Linehaul freight drivers are home every day and avg about 800 to 1100wk (fedex, central, conway, averitt, ect.)while their daytime counterparts avg 16 to 22 dollars per hour with no overtime after 40. Dont let people tell you there is no money in trucking, and to the guy a couple comments above me, with 3,000,000 miles (about 25years)under your belt………….USA TRUCK???? …….really…..you really should have known better. I mean, they hire 120 people per week, theyre big but not that big, thats one hell of a turnaround !!!!!
my husband drives for a company, if the truck gets stopped for being over weight, does points go against the driver or does the company get the fine only.
Ok so I have question! If i get paid hourly and have to drive 8 hrs from home and sleep in a hotel then drive 8 hrs home (after delivery is made) do I get paid for the entire time I’m driving AND sleeping?
I doubt he is making that much unless he has his own truck and is teaming with another.
600 is a lot for one week. Might want to be sure.
most trucks have air adjusted seats up and down and standard sliding seats for tall or short drivers. most also have tilt steering wheels. At your height you would be able to drive just fine depending on the type of truck .
Chicago, I would get my CDL A and being 19 I would find a company to hire me to run IN STATE for 2 years and then at 21 if the company also does Interstate (All or other States) asks to be put on that. This way you just your 2 years of driving for the Insurance Company.
Then I was 18 and starting out as a driver I didn’t want to drive out of state till I got myself knowing very good that I knew more then I did about driving a Big Rig.
Just make sure that the company that hires you gives you what you want and not just what they want out of you. Lots of companies will work you like a slave and not even think about your safety. They look at it if we lost you on the road will just let the insurance pay and replace you with yet another driver. Good Luck if you become a Truck Driver and Always Safety First. God Bless Ex-Trucker George from Florida.
I’m only 5′ tall. My log truck driving buddies say I should stick to the gravel truck….. Does your 4’9″ friend have a special seat? I want to learn to drive our log truck! We have air ride suspension and seat adjust but I don’t think the pedals adjust. Any advice from other short drivers?
- little woman who loves big trucks
Love your site. Some great info but your topic above on how much do truck drivers make is incorrect. It says up to .44 cents a mile or $1200 a week. I work at Con-way freight and started at $46 cents a mile. The top out is .58 cents a mile for road drivers or $24.75 hour for city and dock work, we have guys earning over $2300 per week. Anything over 8 hours in a day on the clock is time and 1/2